Greek Students, Teachers, and Civil Servants Protest Rising Costs and Education Funding Shortfalls

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, students, teachers, and civil servants in Greece are gathering in Athens and Thessaloniki to protest against the rising cost of living and the scarcity of education budgets, according to data published by the Mehr News Agency, quoting Agence France-Presse.

Katia Kobousidou, head of the student union at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, stated that protesters in Greece, mirroring demands seen in France, are advocating for free and public education, emphasizing that these demonstrations are not expected to remain confined to isolated gatherings.

Dozens of students erected tents on Tuesday in Syntagma Square, directly facing the Parliament in Athens, and also in a pedestrian street in Thessaloniki. The Civil Servants’ Union has also called for a strike and a rally in Athens.

Secondary school students and teachers are protesting the lack of facilities and personnel, alongside what they describe as an insufficient increase in public education expenditures.

The conservative government in Greece has attempted to distance these protests from the recent unrest witnessed in France. The Greek Prime Minister remarked on Monday that the country would not regress to the era of widespread social disturbances experienced during the financial crisis over a decade ago.